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Breastfeeding failure

Hi,

I tried my very best to breastfeed my first born but I failed. I have an inverted nipple. Now that I'm pregnant again I really want to breastfeed my 2nd child. Can you please advise what are the things that I need to do in able to do it? As a mother I know that it's my responsibility to give what's best for my children. Please help.

Congratulations on your new pregnancy. Breastfeeding is the very best nutrition for a newborn baby. I am so thrilled that you have asked this question. Many mother's nipples come in all shapes and sizes.

The most important aspect is that the baby is able to grasp the nipple and draw it forward up and into the roof of his mouth. Flat or inverted nipples may make it difficult for baby to form a good latch.
I'd say about 1/3 of mums will experience some degree of nipple inversion, but as the skin changes and becomes more elastic during pregnancy, only about 10% will still have some nipple inversion by the time their baby is born. The degree of nipple inversion is likely to become less with each subsequent pregnancy. Which is great news for you, considering this is your second baby.

Their is also another technique you can do now to help with breastfeeding and that is to determine whether your nipples really are flat or inverted. You can do this while you are pregnant by performing a simple “pinch” test: Hold your breast at the edge of the areola between your thumb and index finger. Press in gently but firmly about an inch behind your nipple. If your nipple protrudes, that’s great. If it does not protrude or become erect, it is considered flat. If it retracts or disappears, it is truly inverted. Nipples that are severely flat or inverted will not respond to stimulation or cold by becoming erect. If you perform the pinch test and your nipples protrude, they aren’t truly inverted and will probably not cause any problems when you nurse your baby.

Once you have welcomed your new baby, I highly suggest getting ample amounts of early breast feeding support such as a Lactation Consultant or La Leche League leaders assistance.
The earlier you are able to get latch support the more efficient baby will be at the breast.

Please don't feel like a failure or feel guilty lizzry100612. It sounds like you sadly didn't have enough breastfeeding support in the early days. This is a great shame as many women just need the right support to help them establish a strong breastfeeding relationship with their baby.

I would follow the advice above and get in touch with either a Lactation Consultant or breastfeeding peer support group whilst you are still pregnant. They will be able to assess your nipples and help you as you start out on the breastfeeding journey with your new baby.

There are actually a number of things you can do in pregnancy to help with inverted or flat nipples. Please have a read of this previous post on Inverted Nipples.

- Niplette (and there are similar products available) can help to draw out the nipple and you can start wearing these in the third trimester.
- Using a breast pump to express a little each day will also help to draw your nipples out.
- Nipple massage can also help with this.

It's great that you want to give your baby the very best - the sad truth is that no formula comes close to the complexity of breastmilk (with cancer-reducing properties, immunity and stem cells to name but a few).